When Mom and I went to Orlando Wetlands Park, the Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks would get up in the palm trees. They do look strange up there.

Mom and I went down to Bradenton today and ate at the restaurant that canceled their 4th of July fireworks to protect the nesting birds. I took lots of photos but my brain is overheated. Pictures when I recover.

Great pictures, everyone!

anole said:While I was watering my plants this afternoon, I discovered a nest in my citrus tree. Mama bird was not happy at all, making angry bird noises and within 5' of me. I took a poor shot of the nest, there are three eggs. Maybe I will get to take a few baby bird shots if Mama bird lets me.

Anole

That's a brown thrasher. Really neat birds & they sing like something from heaven. When the babies grow up to be about the same size as the parents but are still in reality juvenile birds, they will look like mom & dad but will have blue eyes instead of the gold of the parents.

My first visit since the 2nd of July. Been mighty busy. I have been so enjoying the wonderful photos! You guys have all been busy capturing the birds.
Melanie, how cool is that to have your grandfathers schoolwork?!!!!! Neat-O!


I have some bird photos but no time.

I've been hearing someone singing beautifully around here.

Is that who this could be, brown thrasher?


I had my very first painted bunting sighting but wouldn't you know it I tried to take pictures through the window and well... but I'm keeping the pictures anyway as proof.

Beautiful painted bunting!!

Christine, that looks like a young Varied Thrush in your first photo.

Christine, as long as we can tell what it is, it's a good picture! And you know the rule on the internet - pictures or it didn't happen!

I just woke up so I have to go feed the critters and then myself. Plus, I've got two butterflies that want out. One of them is literally climbing the walls.

Christine on the male painted bunting!!!!
I have to disagree with Margaret which I have never done before. The Varied Thrush does not occur in Texas at all according to All About Birds.
I think it's a juvenile American Robin.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/... Look at photo 4.

http://www.audubon.org/field-g... Look at the photos of the juveniles in the gallery

http://www.chirpsandcheeps.com... Check out the photos at the bottom

http://www.pbase.com/doug_jone...

http://nwbirding.com/images/bi...

I know Ann, that's because Margaret is never wrong! (except this one time) But I did notice that when looking up the Varied Thrush. I tried to find another thrush that might be in Texas and found the Wood Thrush and, like you said it shows the juvenile American Robin as a look-alike: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/...

edit - it's a Thrush not a Thrasher!!

I know! You could have knocked me over with a feather! Margaret wrong????!!!!! Just this once.

flaflwrgrl said:I know! You could have knocked me over with a feather! Margaret wrong????!!!!! Just this once.

I was a bit lazy this morning and didn't check my book to see if they were in Texas, and the photo was a bit blurry.....

No pictures, but the Red-Bellied Woodpeckers have figured out how to access the bird feeder. But I had been thinking since I have so many woodpeckers in the area, maybe I should get a suet feeder. That's what they like, right? Anyone have recommendations on feeders that the squirrels won't get into? Does the suet melt in Florida weather? Anything else I should consider? Any other birds I might attract with it?

the squirrels do not bother my suet feeders , but the starlings and sparrow strip it clean like locus in a day or two. I recommend trying one that hangs upside down / bottom feeding one. woodpeckers can eat hanging upside down far easier then the starlings can. they also sell no melt suet , probably best to get this suet in any summer heat environment.

https://www.google.com/search?...


https://www.google.com/search?...

chickadees like suet and can hang upside down too , but not sure if warblers can or not , they like suet too

and in all fairness I do not have a bottom feeding suet holder yet but I have gathered the parts to make one setting downstairs

Kurt got you covered on that question Melanie. I've had the house sparrows eat my suet as well as the cardinals but I don't have an upside down suet feeder.
Something I think you should consider Melanie is protecting it from raccoons. Not here, but down south I had suet cakes stolen the 1st night I put them out. They opened the cage & stole the entire cake. So I hand wired the cage shut. More trouble to put a new cake in but I wouldn't lose them right? Wrong!!!! They stole the entire thing!!!! Cage & suet cake both!!!!! I'm just telling you that you might have to wire the feeder securely to whatever you hang it from AND don't rely on the closure on the cage alone unless it's going to be coon proof. Maybe a padlock.

Well, Dad did want a pellet gun for his birthday next month...

You gonna sit up all night guarding the suet feeder?

Well, I live next to a major north-south roadway. So I could let the cars take care of it.

you but here is a , two for one

chickadee hanging upside down and a padlock on our suet feeder



I'm starting to think the squirrels maybe used to mess with the suet until we started twist tying them shut
and when I found a small padlock laying around , I started using it. I have not seen any squirrels on my suet in a very long time.

My beach bird thread is up! (I didn't want to hog this thread.) Check it out here: The thread "Melanie Goes Birdwatching on Bradenton Beach" in Gardening for Butterflies, Birds and Bees forum

Just about all my birds sample the suet from the feeder, and I haven't seen any squirrels go after it. But it's hanging from the pole that my seed cake feeder is on, and I grease that pole so they have given up trying to climb up it.

Melanie, when you buy your suet cakes, you'll see that they (most of them at least) say "No Melt" on them, and they really don't melt. My birds like the Peanut delight cake the best. I put out a berry one hoping to attract other birds and nobody touched it while the peanut one disappeared in about a week or 10 days. I have a double suet holder that looks like a little wooden house.

I'm out of town right now so can't get to my pictures of it.